Sariska Tiger Reserve
Sariska Tiger Reserve or Sariska National Park is one of the biggest and most renowned Tiger reserve in Northern India. The park is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, which is about 107 km from Jaipur.
Once considered one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Alwar, today the Sariska National Park is a major wildlife tourist attraction that has drawn the attention of many wildlife Enthusiasts & photographers.
Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary or Tiger Reserve, is situated between 27°42’33.31” N /76°28’35.92” E and 27°3’44.89” N 76°16’27.75” E in the Alwar district of Rajasthan state in India. The tiger reserve is spread over an area of 1203.33 sq. km (881.11 sq. km core/ 322.22 sq. km buffer) of Aravalli hills.
The first reference to Alwar goes back to the story of Prahlad-Hiranyakashap, next in Mahabharat, where the Pandavas spent one year in hidden exile (Virat Nagar). The area gained prominence under the rule of the Bargujar Kings and was a part of the vast northern Indian empire as Gujara Pratihara.
Sariska was the hunting reserve for the royal family of Alwar. After Independence, when the control of the forest was vested with the government, the Sariska area was first notified as a Wildlife Reserve in 1955, then a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1958; it came under Project Tiger as Sariska Tiger Reserve in 1979.
The Tiger Reserve remains dry most of the year. However, it changes dramatically during the monsoon with thick undergrowth. During the summer months, the temperature soars up to 45°C, and the entire Jungle turns ash brown, except for the valleys.